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Pedestrians Facing Huge Fines In Spain

Pedestrians Facing Huge Fines In Spain. Expats are being warned to watch out for new rules which are being enforced at pedestrian crossings on the Costa Del Sol

Pedestrians Facing Huge Fines In Spain

Expats and tourists are being advised to read up on the latest set of rules which are being applied to pedestrians on the Costa Del Sol. The Spanish government recently released a series of guidelines for motorists, and are now turning their attention to pedestrians.

Marcus Cohn is the Spanish minister in charge of monitoring pedestrian trends and use of pedestrian crossings. He told Costa Del Sol Update“There are people in Spain who don’t know how to use crossings. It’s not like it is in the United Kingdom, we have rules which are just not being observed by foreigners. So now we are going to enshrine them in law, and fine anyone who doesn’t abide by them”.

This CCTV image shows pedestrians flouting the new laws in Estepona

New Pedestrian Crossing Laws Summarised

The new laws are complex and go into great detail. However, Charlie Reid from the Costa Del Sol Pedestrian Support And Legal Rights Protection Group has summarised them below.

When planning to cross the road, if there is no oncoming traffic do not attempt to make the cross. Wait for the maximum number of vehicles possible to be approaching the crossing before stepping onto it

Do not make your intentions to cross the road obvious. Walk casually beside the road, stepping onto the crossing as if you had no intention of using it. You will know that you have done this correctly when you hear tyres screeching and smell burning rubber

Once on the crossing, it is now law that you do not cross in haste. You must cross the road at the slowest speed possible. An eighth of your regular walking pace will keep you withing the new legal regulations.

Charlie Reid kindly summarised the new laws.

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Cameras To Detect Criminal Activity

Cameras are now being installed at almost every pedestrian crossing in every major town on the Costa Del Sol. Operators will monitor the camera feeds and watch for anyone breaking the rules. New facial recognition software will identify the law breaker, and immediately issue a €471 fine that can be taken directly out of a bank account. If the criminal is not resident in Spain, they will be immediately deported and expected to pay the Ryanair rebooking fees.

Katrina Olas from the Costa Roads And Pedestrians Society says that these new laws are designed to catch out tourists and boost the coffers of the town halls. “The Spanish have been crossing roads this way for generations, they won’t be affected by these new laws. It’s the tourists who will suffer, they have no idea of the consequences of crossing a road quickly. This must be stopped”.

State of the art camera technology is being used to monitor pedestrian crossings.

Benalmadena resident Pat Cline, originally from Birmingham says being a foreigner is no excuse for not following the law. She told Costa Del Sol Update “I’m not from Birmingham actually, I’m from Smethwick. People who come to live here, or even just on holiday, should learn the laws. Ignorance is no excuse. Take Brexit for example, just because no one knows what it means doesn’t mean that it’s meaning isn’t meant to be known. Simple really.”

Have you been caught out by these new rules? Have your say in the comments section below.

2 comments

You forgot to mention it is also illegal to say thank you to any motorist who was forced to make an emergency stop due to the aforementioned law about not indicating that you were about to cross the road. Excuse the convolutated wording of that statement, but like all legal documents, it is designed to confuse the reader!!